Your Cruise Ship Guide: Best cruise ships of 2017

Discover the glamorous amenities the best cruise ships of 2017 have to offer!

Trying to decide what cruise ship to choose for your next voyage? We have your guide to the best cruise ships of 2017 right here! At CruiseExperts.com, we know what a huge role the choice of cruise ship plays in the enjoyment of your vacation, so we created a guide to help you discover this year’s best ships. We thought about everything we love about being on a cruise ship, from the accommodations, service, and dining choices, to the entertainment and shore excursions. We considered what cruisers said they loved about different ships. The results? While there is a fleet of wonderful cruise ships out there, the fabulous features of Viking Oceans’, Disney Cruise Lines’, and Celebrity Cruise Lines’ cruise ships made them our absolute favorites. Here are our choices for the best cruise ships of 2017.

Best overall cruise ship: Viking Sea

For best overall cruising experience, Viking Oceans’ Viking Sea heads the list of our cruise ship recommendations for 2017. The 930-passenger cruise ship is the absolute best in the small-mid size ship category, garnering top marks as the cruise ship with the most amenities including luxurious all-veranda cruise staterooms, impeccable service that includes complimentary 24-hour room service, gorgeous public areas, and dynamic entertainment and onboard activities. Viking Sea is only a third of the size of some of the mega-ships, which allows it to stop in a diverse set of ports and offer some of the best shore excursions we’ve seen. It wins our vote for best fitness facilities, with an exceptional onboard spa that features a snow grotto (with actual snowflakes!), sauna, and relaxing Wintergarden lounge.

Best cruise ship for first time cruisers: Viking Star

Viking Oceans’ Viking Star offers the best experience for first time cruisers. The luxury ship delivers exceptional value, since Viking Oceans’ almost all-inclusive pricing allows cruisers to enjoy fee-free dining at all onboard specialty restaurants, complimentary wine and beer at lunch and dinner, free unlimited Wi-Fi throughout the ship, and a free shore excursion at every port. The excellence of Viking Oceans’ cruise ships is even more astonishing when you consider that the company built its reputation as a river cruise company and only expanded into launching ocean cruisers in 2015.

Best cruise ship for families: Disney Magic

If you’re interested in taking a family cruise, Disney Cruise Line’s Magic is our favorite cruise ship, but really, all of the Disney cruise ships offer exceptional family fun and so much more. Disney cruise ships provide a fabulous cruising experience overall; Disney Dream notably offers the best cabins, public rooms, and service of any of the large cruise ships this year.

Best cruise ship value and best shore excursions: Celebrity Xpedition

If you’re wondering what is the best cruise ship to sail for unforgettable shore excursions, Celebrity Cruise Line’s Galapagos Island cruises aboard Xpedition can’t be beat. With Celebrity’s unique Xperiential Travel℠ program, you travel with certified naturalists as you discover the wild beauty of the Galapagos Islands through face-to-face encounters with giant tortoises, friendly seals, and an astonishing array of wildlife. Celebrity’s Xpedition is a truly all-inclusive voyage where everything is covered, from meals and beverages to equipment, lecturers, and more on shore excursions, gaining our vote for the best cruise ship value of 2017.

No matter which ship you choose, if you travel on one of the best cruise ships of 2017, you are certain to have the vacation of a lifetime! Call CruiseExperts.com today at 1-888-804-CRUISE (2784) to book your dream cruise vacation for 2017. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and join our InnerCircle for exclusive offers and cruise news you can use! Also, check out our new Resource Center, where you can receive expert knowledge from us before your next cruise or cruisetour!

Our team of cruise consultants and support staff, based in Central California, counts nearly a century of combined talent, knowledge, and enthusiasm in the travel industry. We're not just another internet upstart; our seasoned team has gained the trust and business of thousands of satisfied cruise and land vacation customers from all over the country since 1995. We ARE the original Cruise Experts.